The 2015 Countdowns - Stats

My end-of-the-year countdowns start next week, and the trend of Asian music continues to dominate the listings. What can I say? I like what I like when I like it. Because of this, I've decided to split the albums into two groups this year: full-length and mini.

This limits stats a bit, though I can say that despite the overwhelming presence of k-pop on every list, only one of the three number one positions is actually Korean. See you Monday!

Top 50 Singles
Korean - 72%
Japanese - 14%
Swedish - 8%
American - 4%
Finnish - 2%

Top 10 Albums
Korean - 50%
Swedish - 20%
American - 20%
Canadian - 10%

Top 10 Mini Albums
Korean - 100% (Ha!)

Lovelyz - For You

There's a very specific sound that's become especially popular this year with Korean girl groups. It's a bubbly, effervescent pop style that emphasizes bright melody and punctuations of synth that act more like guitar stabs. It's a high energy mix, and one that groups such as Lovelyz and Gfriend have mastered in 2015. For You is the new single from the former, although it sounds more like a track from the latter. It's not as cutesy or quirky as Lovelyz have been in the fast, opting instead for a more powerful, in your face production. While I liked it during the first listen, it took a few spins before that chorus really took hold. Now I can't get the damn thing out of my head!



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Donkeyboy - Lost

Donkeyboy are taking their sweet time with that elusive third album, and making the wait even worse as they continue to release brilliant singles in the interim. Their sound has remained very consistent, augmented slightly each time to make it sound new and noteworthy. The common denominator is always those breezy, otherworldly vocals and lush synth-scapes. Lost gives off a vibe that's a little more minimalistic, with the focus mostly on the track's slick beat. It marks a more club-friendly detour for the group, but manages to avoid the generic pit most "club" tracks fall into these days. Honestly, they're one of the few acts in western music that I'm still into these days.

Seventeen + Ailee - Q&A

Seventeen (my favorite debut group of the year), have gifted us a surprise collaboration single with popular solo artist Ailee. Better yet, the song features a unit group of my three favorite members. Essentially, it's a light hip-hop track that's a lot less in your face than their full-group singles. It's also a total grower. That breezy hook is indelible, and works its way inside your head without you even noticing it. The cool thing is that the hip-hop verses, which can sometimes simply float by without any fanfare, are full with character and catchy flow. It helps that the video is also adorable and requires very little translation to get its point across.



(If you decide to buy K-Pop physical album releases -- and my god you should, because they're awesomely presented -- try catchopcd for some of the best prices out there. Use this link to get 5% off your first order!)